Zopa continue with their continual iterative improvements, this one being insurance to offer full protection for lenders, in return for a lessor interest rate. This might be a couple of days later (We’re awaiting final regulatory clearance, but the system is all built) – but we’re delighted to be able to offer an insurance product for lenders that guarantees your money back – no matter what happens with bad debts. Source: Zopa blog   Technorati tags: zopa, social+lending Continue reading Zopa blog | Capital Guarantee product for lenders

Another slant on social lending.  David Reiling at University Bank of Minnesota has created an account option that permits depositors to designate their account balances toward funding of community and social housing locally. Hat tip to David for this one.  Here’s how it works: Open any depository account at University Bank and designate your account balances to the URF. It’s as simple as checking a box on our account agreement form. Your account balances in the URF will be used to support: * affordable housing * small businesses * non-profit organizations * community services Source: Community Impact – Urban Revitalization Fund … Continue reading Community Impact – Urban Revitalization Fund (URF) – University Bank

I have talked and thought a fair bit about social networks for banks, and social lending in particular.  Here is a fabulous story about Muhammad Yunus, who established Grameen Bank to help underprivileged, and non-banked people in Bangladesh.  It all began when in 1976, he lent $27 from his own pocket to 42 stool makers in a poor village.  The results were astounding, and for a small amount (to him) it was an enormous leg up (pardon the pun) to them.  Thanks to Ryan for the tip on the book, Banker to the Poor, that tells the story. Yunus’s theories … Continue reading Banker to the Poor: Micro-Lending and the Battle Against World Poverty

 Review Centre is a simple site designed to let people provide their review of various things.  This link is to the financial part, where customers review Bank Accounts. Bank Accounts, We have many reviews written by people like you. Compare Bank and Building Society accounts such as Halifax, Nationwide, HSBC and Natwest. You can find the best products and use the online shops to apply for finance, get Loans, Insurance, Mortgages and even O% Credit Card Deals. Join in or start discussions on Mortgages, Loans, Savings and Insurance and more in our lively Review Centre Finance Forums. Source: Bank Accounts. … Continue reading Bank Accounts. Compare Current Account Reviews at Review Centre

Europe is a big user of Social Networks, albeit American ones. Social network sites are used by 17% of the European online population: In the UK, 34% of online consumers are members, making them Europe’s biggest users of social network sites. Users are young, Net-centric, and have bought into the social computing vision – they are heavy users of RSS, blogs, and podcasts in addition to being members of social networks. Across Europe, MSN’s social networks are faring well but, as the social network phenomenon spreads, they will face a strong challenge from MySpace. Source: Forrester: Interactive Marketing All Forrester Research … Continue reading Forrester | Profiling Social Network Users In Europe

 Danah’s speech to the O’Reilly Emerging Technology Conference in March 2006, provides more basis for design of social network sites.  This is the conclusion, but the meaning is only understood by studying the paper.  DESIGNING FOR GLOCALIZATION – To close, I want to offer some suggestions that will help you address issues that emerge when dealing with glocalized communities. Empower users. Give them the ability to personalize and culturalize their spaces online. Let people create the contexts in which their expressions can occur so that they can help set and regulate the norms. This means everything from hackable HTML to … Continue reading G/localization: When Global Information and Local Interaction Collide

 Confused does a great job on three lies of social software/ networks.  This is well worth the read for anyone trying to understand this arena. Lie 1: Social software causes groupthink and herd behaviour Lie 2: Social software is full of inaccuracies and downright lies Lie 3: Social software destroys privacy Source: Confused Of Calcutta » Blog Archive » Three lies about social software   Technorati tags: social+networks Continue reading Confused Of Calcutta | Three lies about social networks

 In what could portend the future, Verity communicate with their customers during an extreme emergency, via their blog. (Courtesy of Trey at Opensourcecu) It appears that our log-in button has been re-routed to an unauthorized website. We are in the process right now of trying break the link or pull down our site. Please do not log in to home banking at this time. Source: who are “V”?: Spoofing AlertWe Are V- Verity Credit Union’s Blog There web site still seems to be having issues and this is their latest update: We have taken down the website and initiated a … Continue reading Verity CU blog | Spoofing Alert